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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Books of the Month is where I recap books I received In My Mailbox,
read, shared from my shelves, and plug my book reviews and discussions
during the entire month. Variations of these types of posts exist on
many blogs so I am not claiming credit for this idea.

Books of April

Purchased if he had been with me by Laura Nowlin

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCourhow I lost you by Janet Gurtler17 & Gone by Nova Ren Sumamanicpixiedreamgirl by Tom LeveenWon

Monday, April 29, 2013

It's time to gear up for another read-a-thon. I missed out on the Dewey's 24-Hour read-a-thon this weekend, and I haven't participated in an organized read-a-thon since December. So, it is definitely time!!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender
and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that
begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in
whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the
only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books
read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but
all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I refuse to list the books I "plan" to read because I hardly ever stick to that list plus I find it limiting. So the only goal I want to meet is to read at least 2000 pages and possibly get in a few rereads. There are some verse novels that deserve some attention BUT I'm not listing specific titles!! I'm also looking forward to participating in at least one twitter chat and meeting some new bloggers and readers.

If you are even remotely interested in participating, you should. It's one of the best read-a-thons around - no pressure and lots of fun!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Love
My Indie is a feature where fellow bloggers, readers, and authors share
their favorite independent bookstores. I love the feeling I get
when I go into an independent bookstore - like it is filled with hidden
treasures just waiting for me to find them.

Showing some Indie Love today is:

Katie Kacvinsky

Author of First Comes Love, Second Chance, Awaken and Middle Ground

Outside Grass Roots Books and Music

Local
bookstores say so much about the community around them. They are the
heart of a community, in many ways. When you walk into Grass Roots Books and Music, in Corvallis, Oregon, you can tell what people are into
around here—there are always displays on gardening, the environment,
brewing beer, tasting wine, biking, and exploring.

Katie Kacvinsky with Grass Roots store manager

Bookstores
are an experience; they are a place for fellowship, escape, and
inspiration. My favorite thing to do with my son is buy a book at Grass
Roots and go to the bakery next door, get chocolate milk and cookies and
sit down and read. I love Grass Roots for its strong support of local
authors and musicians, and its passion and knowledge for books. If
you’re ever in Corvallis, please stop by. But plan on staying a while…a
good bookstore is like a tight hug. You never want to leave its embrace.

I'm pretty sure if I lived in Corvallis Grass Roots Books and Music would be my home away from home. Going there and then to the other local spots sounds like a great way to spend the day. I know that they have great customer service because I've ordered books from there before! Katie, thank you for taking the time to share your favorite independent bookstore. And I love your shirt!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

(from Goodreads)Sometimes the most dramatic scenes in a high school theater club are the ones that happen between the actors and crew off stage.

Seventeen-year-old
Tyler Darcy's dream of being a writer is starting to feel very real now
that he's sold his first short story to a literary journal. He should
be celebrating its publication with his two best friends who've always
had his back, but on this night, a steady stream of texts from his
girlfriend Sidney keep intruding. So do the memories of his dream girl,
Becky, who's been on his mind a little too much since the first day of
high school. Before the night is over, Ty might just find the nerve to
stop all the obsessing and finally take action.

My Thoughts

Sometimes the most dramatic scenes in a high school theater club are the ones that happen between the actors and crew off stage.

With this sentence, I was hooked and knew that I must read this book. Tom Leveen made me a believer in his talent with his novel Zero and amazed me even more with manicpixiedreamgirl. His writing isdynamic and honest and REAL. He draws the reader in with his character development and overwhelmsus with hisstorytelling. Pure genius. Leveen just gets it right.

The story jumps right in letting the reader know that the main character Tyler is caught up this imagined love affair with is dream girl, Becky, while still maintaining a relationship with his current girlfriend, Sydney. He's struggling with his need to finally tell her how he really feels because he know that it will change everything. Everything.

I loved how the story takes place in a single night with Tyler out with his friends celebrating having a story published. We get to see how Tyler comes to love Becky, but end up with Sydney through flashbacks of the past few years. Leveen's style of writing was seemless and it felt like this is exactly how we, as readers, were supposed to see the story unfold.

I appreciated that the two girls weren’t really pitted against each other -
Sydney (Syd) wasn’t a girl that you hateful girlfriend that you begged Tyler to dump, and you didn’t feel sympathy
for her either when you realized that Tyler has mind on another girl - Syd was a girl who had it together. She saw the
situation as it was and maintained some dignity. If anything, her poise and acceptance of this reality
added to the love/hate relationship that you have for Tyler. Love him
because of his devotion to this other girl, Becky, who his sister claimed was
“damaged” and didn’t take advantage of her, but hated him ( well not
really hated him) for jerking Syd around for so long. And Becky who seemed so unattainable to Tyler, she didn't play games with him.

There is a genuine friendship between Tyler and Becky. At first, he is intrigued by her unusual quirkiness, but once he joins the drama club and they work on plays together - their friendship begins to become authentic. She's still guarded and doesn't let him in completely, and he doesn't ask questions that he doesn't want to know the answers to, but they become as close as they will allow themselves to be.

As much as this book had me entralled, turning page after page and unable to read it fast enough, there were moments that were difficult to read. There were a coupleof moments of horrific conversations between Becky and her parents that forced me to put the book down and take a deep breath before I could continue reading. It was that affecting.

I've read many books this year that I have absolutely loved and Manicpixiedreamgirlis no different. Since I can't and won't pick a favorite, I'll just add this one to that list. (I'm pretty sure I said almost this exact same thing about Zero) Manicpixiedreamgirl is a gem of a book and one that I hope makes it into the hands of many readers.

Disclaimer: I received this Advanced Readers Copy for review from the author and publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I did not receive any compensation for providing this review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Logan is barely
seventeen, and barely dead. To find eternal rest, the ghost rock star
must make peace with his brother Mickey, before his guilt over Logan’s
death drives him to suicide.

Krista sees ghosts everywhere, but
never the one she needs most. A chance boardwalk encounter with Logan
turns her Senior Week party into a rescue mission. Can her own grief
give her the strength to save Mickey’s life?

Loaded with bonus
material, the “Bridge” ebook is the perfect introduction to the
young-adult Shade trilogy—a tale of ghosts, music, and everlasting love.

For
any fan of the SHADE trilogy, this is a must read. When I read the
series, I was all about Zach, but Logan has made me a fan. And now the
only thing I want to do is reread the entire series from start to
finish!

I love that it is written in verse because it lends to
the story Logan is telling. And the bonus features are, well, a bonus! Read it!
Loved it! Buy it!

When you’re a hypochondriac, there are a million different things that could be wrong with you, but for Izzy, focusing on what could be wrong might be keeping her from dealing with what’s really wrong.

I almost raised my hand, but what would I say? “Mr. Bayer, may I please be excused? I’m not totally positive, but I think I might have cancer.” No
way. Then everyone at school would know, and they would treat me
differently, and I would be known as “Izzy, that poor girl who diagnosed
herself with breast cancer during biology.”

But Izzy’s
sense of humor can only get her so far when suddenly her best friend
appears to have undergone a personality transplant, her mother’s health
takes a turn for the worse, and her beautiful maybe-boyfriend is going
all hot and cold. Izzy thinks she’s preparing for the worst-case
scenario, but when the worst-case scenario actually hits, it’s a
different story altogether—and there’s no tidy list of symptoms to help
her through the insanity.

My Thoughts

Straight up - I loved this book. Mindy Raf has given us an extremely entertaining and enlightening story about how one girl deals with the pressures and anxiety of high-school, home life, and maybe a little hypochondria.

It's safe to say that Izzy is very developed, physically, for her age and everyone has an opinion about it - her mother, her sister, her friends, her friend's mother, and too many boys at school. While this seems like a small part of the story, it plays a major role in who Izzy is. She's always self-aware, analyzing, critiquing, and trying to please everyone around her - all while trying to fit in, succeed in school, and be a good daughter. I loved that Izzy wasn't portrayed as the artsy social misfit outcast who no one understands. She has an evolving group of friends who give and take, and friendships that shift and change, as most friendships do during this time of life. I think that Mindi Raf captured this aspect of high school friendships and relationships really well.The story is filled with a cast of characters. There is the eccentric guidance counselor, the drama-queen sister, the hot (maybe bad boy) love interest, the boy next door, the new best friend, the old best friend, and the sick, but she's not dying, mother. When listed out like that, it seems a little cliche, but all belong in the story, because they each played a role in Izzy's growth as a character.

Raf tackles a lot in this book: family illness, changing friendships, failed relationships, betrayal, jealousy, academic pressure, peer pressure, and a scandal I hoped I didn't see coming (but I did). And while it may seem like too much for one book and for one girl to deal with, I think that she (Raf) pulls it off.

Disclaimer: I received this Advanced Readers Copy for review from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I did not receive any compensation for providing this review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Monday, April 22, 2013

In
honor of William Shakespeare’s birthday (celebrated on April 23),
authors Kim Askew and Amy Helmes, have dropped by with a guest blog post
to announce a special contest!

Get A “Twisted Lit” Character Named After You!

We reimagined William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and “Macbeth,” with our “compulsively readable” YA books, Tempestuous and Exposure.
Ever since the novels were published a few months ago through Merit
Press we’ve encountered a frequent question: Which of Shakespeare’s
plays will inspire your next books in the Twisted Lit series?

While
we’re currently hard at work putting our own spin on the Bard’s “Romeo
and Juliet” we thought we’d look to you, the readers, to help us pick
the fourth Shakespeare play that will inspire our next book in the
series. Got a hankering for a new spin on “Hamlet?” Love to see “King
Lear” get a YA update? Would you make much ado over our take on “Much
Ado About Nothing?”

Go to our Facebook page (Facebook.com/Twistedlitnovels)
and write on our wall to weigh in on which Shakespeare play you’d like
us to revamp next. In doing so, you’ll be entered to have your very own
name mentioned in one of our upcoming books (either as a character or
some other fun reference). If you’ve always wanted to see your name in
print — in a YA novel, no less — now’s your chance! The winner will also
receive autographed copies of our first two novels, Tempestuous and Exposure.

We’re looking forward to hearing your suggestions! (And don’t forget to follow us on twitter at @kaskew and @amyhelmes.)

*
Winner will not be compensated for use of his or her name, and
publication is not guaranteed. Details of plot and character used in
connection with the name as it appears in the book are up to the sole
discretion of the authors. Contest ends June 1.

Kim & Amy

About the AuthorsAuthors
Kim Askew and Amy Helmes have been writing together since 2004, when
they launched Romancing the Tome, a blog dedicated to their obsession
with book-to-film adaptations. For more information on the books in
their Shakespeare-inspired series, visit TwistedLitBooks.com.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Operation Teen Book Drop 2013 took place on April 18th and I spent the day leaving books all around my town. I took the day off from work to spend the day with my husband and then I dragged him all over town with me. When I told him the plan for the day, he asked me why was I doing this, and I said: "Because I want to. Maybe someone will find a nice surprise." Then he wanted to know if I would ever know who picked up the books. Me: "Probably not, but that's not the point."

Local Coffee Shop: This drop seemed very promising. As I walked up to leave the books, there was a girl sitting in the sunshine reading. She wasn't a teen, but a reader and I took it as a good sign.

Drop #2

Sonic Drive-In: I hoped that the lure of half-price drinks and slushies would draw in the teen crowd. (Oh and I got a Route 44 Sweet Tea)

Drop #3

The public library

Drop #4

Starbucks: I went inside for this drop. It looked like it might rain, plus there were teenagers inside studying. I hope that at least one of them picked up this book.

Drop #5

Maybe the best drop of all!! No kidding!!

We were going to dinner at this old farmhouse that was converted into a restaurant and there were many people waiting outside in the benches and gazebos. When I went to place my final book in one of the gazebos, I came upon two teens reading!! Jackpot! One was reading a Harry Potter novel and the other was reading Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. I asked them if either of them had read Along for the Ride. One of them hadn't so she was happy to take the book from me. I told them all about #RocktheDrop, recommended Anna and the French Kiss, and told them how they both made my day!!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Love
My Indie is a feature where fellow bloggers, readers, and authors share their favorite independent bookstores. I love the feeling I get
when I go into an independent bookstore - like it is filled with hidden
treasures just waiting for me to find them.

Changing
Hands used to be a little two-storey place on a college-town street
called Mill Avenue when I was growing up. I met Brian Jacques (the Redwall
series) there once, and it was truly inspiring. Now that I think about
it, I believe I model my own school visits essentially on how he
presented his books that day. So this indie bookstore has been
influencing me since long before I ever attempted to publish.

Changing
Hands moved to another part of town, and I didn’t think much about it
for awhile, not until a random visit in which my wife and I ran into one
of their book buyers, Brandi. Brandi—and then the rest of the staff,
like Faith, Stephanie, Eddie, Robyn, Danielle, and everyone else
there—took trembly, fragile little baby-bird new-author-me under their
wings and shepherded my first novel, Party, through the paces to
becoming a real live book on their shelves. They do this for tons of
authors. Plus their list of authors who have done events there is
tremendous. For instance, if I remember correctly, they were the first
store to host a newbie debut author named Stephanie Meyer. (I think
there were about, oh, thirty or forty people there…)

Tom Leveen at Changing Hands in 2012 (photo credit: Alecia Brouwer)

I’ve
met all of my local author friends through Changing Hands, and gotten
to do great events with them over the years. The store hosts an annual
event called YAllapalooza, an all-day affair with young adult authors
teaching classes and hosting panels, then having a big pizza party and
game night at the store afterward. They connect with schools all over
town, and there’s an event there of one kind or another pretty much
every single night. The ambiance is bright and welcoming, well-stocked
with new and used books, small gifts, and a calendar of events to die
for.

But
the real standout of Changing Hands is the staff. These are readers and
lovers of all kinds of literature, and they will do anything and
everything to find you just the right book. I had to remind myself to
even refer to them as “staff” just now, because when I go, it’s hugs all
around. These are my friends, and I wouldn’t dream of launching a new
book anywhere but there. It is exactly the kind of place where aspiring
writers should go, because bookstores are very much a part of the
publishing world. We creative types tend to forget that we’re in
business, selling products. Changing Hands is the perfect synthesis of
business and art.

Tom at Changing Hands for the launch for Zero (photo credit: Alecia Brouwer)

I would still be a publishing author without this gem of an indie store…but I’d be a lonely published author!

You can (and should) check them out at www.changinghands.comand on Twitter @changinghandsTom, thank you so much for sharing your favorite bookstore. Changing Hands sounds like a wonderful bookstore that takes care of both
their authors and their readers. I will probably never have the
opportunity to visit there, but just knowing that a bookstore like this
exists is enough.

Author of Catching Jordan, Miranda Kenneally’s Racing Savannah,
about an underprivileged girl training to be a jockey while working in
the barn at a high-stakes horse farm whose on-again, off-again
relationship with the owner’s son has an upstairs/downstairs effect on
race day.

Why I'm Waiting:

I was a little late to the game (or it felt that way, at least) with reading Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker and I just loved those stories and couldn't believe that I held on them for so long before I read them. I love how Miranda Kenneally's characters make appearances in the other Hundred Oaks books, but they are not part of a series. Companion novels are the best. I still have Things I Can't Forget to read, and then Racing Savannah!!

Monday, April 15, 2013

Provisions and Paperbacks, my IRL book club, recently read Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park. As I said in my previous post (you can read it here), I want to share some thoughts and ideas brought up during the book club and bring my blog readers into the discussion.

Not yet, but there will be spoilers. You have been warned.

Flat-Out Loveby Jessica ParkPublished April 11, 2011Pages:389

Flat-Out Love is a warm
and witty novel of family love and dysfunction, deep heartache and raw
vulnerability, with a bit of mystery and one whopping,
knock-you-to-your-knees romance.

Something is seriously off in
the Watkins home. And Julie Seagle, college freshman, small-town Ohio
transplant, and the newest resident of this Boston house, is determined
to get to the bottom of it.

When Julie's off-campus housing falls
through, her mother's old college roommate, Erin Watkins, invites her
to move in. The parents, Erin and Roger, are welcoming, but emotionally
distant and academically driven to eccentric extremes. The middle child,
Matt, is an MIT tech geek with a sweet side ... and the social skills
of a spool of USB cable. The youngest, Celeste, is a frighteningly
bright but freakishly fastidious 13-year-old who hauls around a
life-sized cardboard cutout of her oldest brother almost everywhere she
goes.

And there's that oldest brother, Finn: funny, gorgeous,
smart, sensitive, almost emotionally available. Geographically?
Definitely unavailable. That's because Finn is traveling the world and
surfacing only for random Facebook chats, e-mails, and status updates.
Before long, through late-night exchanges of disembodied text, he begins
to stir something tender and silly and maybe even a little bit sexy in
Julie's suddenly lonesome soul.

To Julie, the emotionally
scrambled members of the Watkins family add up to something that ...
well ... doesn't quite add up. Not until she forces a buried secret to
the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear
the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer.

Here are some thoughts shared during our book club discussion after reading Flat-Out Love:

Flat-Out Love was another book that everyone in the book club raved about. Even before we met, I received these messages:

"I have finished the book for our next meeting and
whoever picked it two thumbs up it was great.""I finished the book last night and can’t wait to
talk about it Tuesday. I’ve been telling my boss lady . . . about our book
club and gave her the names of some of the books we’ve read and the book we’re
reading for our Tuesday meeting. She finished it in two days or something like
that."

Flat-Out love was nominated for our book club by our newest book club member. She wasn't familiar with the author but the book popped up time and time again as an "Amazon recommends"

At first it wasn't obvious what the deal was with Finn and they thought that the little sister just missed him and the Flat-Finn was just a place-holder until he returned. Other readers picked up on it pretty early on, but gave in to the idea so they could be swept up in the story.

Some readers questioned if there was an incident between Finn and Celeste that kept him from coming home.

The banter between Julie and Matt was witty and clever, easy and immediate, and made the book incredibly enjoyable to read. Both Julie and Matt kept each other on their toes.

The Facebook status updates added to the story and I was always trying to figure out if true identities or motives would be revealed through the updates. Were there any obvious clues?

The character Seth wasn't convincing as a real possible love interest for Julie, but he is in one of my favorite scenes - when he goes back and forth with Celeste answering all of her questions about his intentions of getting to know Julie.

We all loved Celeste and her quirks and mannerisms. She did seem wise beyond her years but she had dealt with a lot in her family which is what made her seem older in someways (even though she dressed very young for her age). And Julie probably identified with her so easily because Julie saw so much in herself in Celeste - her intelligence, her awkwardness, and this was why they were connected almost instantly.

We didn't talk about Matt's mother too much, but we did recognize that her depression played a majorrole in how the family interacted and how many of the decisions were made based on what she wanted.

Another favorite scene - after Julie is stood up by her dad, drunk dials Matt and asks, "Are you a skilled lover?"This is quite possible one of the best moments of the book.

When Julie sets up Matt with her friend Dana, you're not quite sure what really happened between the two of them because Dana just laughs it off. No spoilers here, but you must read Flat-Out Matt to find out what really happened.

We don't plan to read Flat-Out Matt for book club, but we all plan to read it. (I've already read it and love the extra before and after chapters. And I was glad that it wasn't the complete story as Flat-Out Love just from Matt's POV.)

I personally liked reading about places I have visited when I traveled to Boston. It was pretty cool to know some of the locations described in the books and yes there are a ton of Dunkin' Donuts in the area. Reading about them made me want to go out and get a Coolatta, but unlike Boston, and more like where Julie is from, there isn't one on every other corner.

The Book Cover - It's cool how hints of the story are incorporated in the letters of Flat-Out Love. Some of us picked up on it, but others didn't at all. And what was so obvious, the hinges connected the letters together (and the hinges are important to the story) - I didn't even notice those at all!

Flat-Out Love was a hit with the book club - it drummed up a lot of conversation (not all was captured here) and is one of those books that you want to share with your friends. There is a lot of humor, but it's not all good times. It exposes the struggles a family goes through after a huge tragedy.